accusations swirl: Elon Musk's impact on child mortality through USAID budget cuts
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Millions of children's lives are claimed due to Musk's financial reduction, according to Gates. - Millions of children perish due to Musk's financial restrictions, according to Gates' assertion.
Tech tycoon Elon Musk faces scrutiny as Bill Gates, philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, accuses him of contributing to the deaths of millions of children due to the drastic budget reductions at the U.S. development aid organization USAID. Gates, in an interview with the "New York Times," refers to the cuts as "shocking" and expects the number of annual child deaths in poor countries to rise from five to six million if no change occurs.
Gates contends that, without these cuts, the number could've been reduced to four million in the coming years. "It'll mean millions more children will die because of these cuts," he said, pointing the finger at Musk for the reductions.
On his online platform X, Musk dismissively addressed the allegations: "Gates is a big ol' liar."
USAID on the Chopping Block
As a supporter of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Musk donated over 250 million dollars and became a close confidant. Following Trump's inauguration, Musk took on a role in cutting government spending, including USAID, which he himself described as being on the chopping block.
"The wealthiest individual in the universe is tangled up in causing the demise of the world's most vulnerable children," Gates said, with Musk's net worth estimated at over 300 billion dollars (268 billion euros). Despite joining the "The Giving Pledge" initiative launched by Gates and investor Warren Buffett, which encourages the wealthy to donate their resources to charitable causes, Gates expressed skepticism about Musk's potential for philanthropy.
Gates himself has allocated substantial portions of his wealth to his foundation in recent years. He recently announced that the Gates Foundation will deplete and close out almost all of his wealth in the next 20 years, with an estimated spending of over 200 billion dollars during that period.
- Bill Gates
- Elon Musk
- Children
- CEO
- USAID
- Donald Trump
- New York Times
- Death toll
Behind the Curtains:
Musk's involvement in USAID budget cuts may have stemmed from conspiracy theories propagated by a former government official named Mike Benz. He reportedly denounced USAID with harsh language, branding it as a "criminal organization" and a "nest of radical-left Marxists." This, along with unfounded claims that USAID financed political attempts to impeach President Trump, formed the basis for his calls to reduce foreign aid appropriations.
Under the Trump administration and with Musk's influence, the proposed federal budget sought immense cuts to international programs, including USAID, with a total foreign affairs budget cut from $58.8 billion to roughly $9.6 billion. This meant rescinding about $20 billion in previously approved international aid funds and drastically reducing State Department and USAID operations in the Americas by as much as $2.4 billion.
Critics have asserted that these cuts would likely result in increased child mortality and resurgence of major diseases in developing countries. Bill Gates has been particularly vocal in condemning Musk for what he views as the reckless reduction of funds that would have financed essential supplies of food, medicine, and programs aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in places like Gaza and Mozambique.
- Bill Gates, in an interview with the "New York Times," accuses Elon Musk of contributing to the deaths of millions of children due to USAID budget cuts, stating that without these cuts, the number of annual child deaths in poor countries could've been reduced to four million.
- Elon Musk, a supporter of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and CEO of X, is accused of causing reductions in USAID funding, with Bill Gates calling him out for being tangled up in causing the demise of the world's most vulnerable children.
- Mike Benz, a former government official, has been reported to have propagated conspiracy theories about USAID, denouncing it as a "criminal organization" and a "nest of radical-left Marxists," which may have influenced Elon Musk's involvement in USAID budget cuts.
- The proposed federal budget under the Trump administration, with Musk's influence, sought immense cuts to international programs, including USAID, which, according to critics, would likely result in increased child mortality and resurgence of major diseases in developing countries.
- Bill Gates himself has allocated substantial portions of his wealth to his foundation and recently announced that the Gates Foundation will deplete and close out almost all of his wealth in the next 20 years, with an estimated spending of over 200 billion dollars during that period.
